5 Facts Unique to Canadian Football

For outsiders, football might not be the first thing you think of when you hear Canada. However, football is actually a popular sport in the country. 

At first glance, the sport seems to have many similarities with American football. However, it has slight differences that make it distinct when playing the sport or betting on it. If you’re looking at football predictions for the CFL, it’s also best to understand how Canadian football works. 

To help you know more about Canadian football, we list down some unique facts that make it different from American football. But first, here’s a brief background of Canadian football.

What is Canadian football?

Both American and Canadian football actually came from rugby. The sport started in Canada when British soldiers stationed in Montreal played the game against students from McGill University.

In 1958, the Canadian Football League, the country’s professional football league, was founded. The league includes a 21-week regular season that starts in June and a championship game called the Grey Cup in November.

Despite a common origin, American and Canadian football developed different rules and regulations making both sports unique from each other.

5 things unique to Canadian football

1. Field

If you think football fields are all the same, it’s not. Canadian football fields are a few yards longer and wider than American football fields.

Canadian football fields measure 110 years long and 65 yards wide. Meanwhile, American football fields are 100 yards long and 53 ⅓ yards wide. Due to the bigger fields and fewer downs in Canadian football, teams usually play a more pass-oriented offence than American football.

Additionally, goalposts in Canadian football are placed at the front of the end zone. The end zone is also deeper, measuring 20 yards deep compared to 10 yards in an American football field.

2. Players

Instead of 11 players, Canadian football consists of 12 players in a team.

As a result, there’s an extra backfield player when playing Canadian football. Because of this, common offensive setups consist of two slot backs, two defensive halfbacks, and one safety.

3. Downs

Canadian football has three downs. In fact, three downs were the norm during the early days of football. The rule was added to prevent players from possessing the ball for too long. However, the Americans added a fourth down in 1912. Canada was in talks to add a fourth down as well. Unfortunately, discussions on rule changes did not continue after World War I.

With just three downs, Canadian football is generally more pass and kick-oriented. Supporters say this rule (as well as other unique rules) makes Canadian football more exciting to play or watch.

4. Scoring

Scoring in Canadian football is very similar to American football—except for one rule. A rouge or single point is given to the kicking team based on three conditions.

First, the kicking team misses a field goal. Second, the kicking team punts the football and the other team does not return the ball out of their end zone. Lastly, the kicking team punts the football and it goes over the end zone with no one touching it.

This scoring rule is only applicable to Canadian football.

5. Seasons and Schedule

The CFL also differs from the schedule and number of seasons of the NFL. In the CFL, the regular season starts in June and ends by November. Each team will also have to play 18 regular-season games, compared to the 16 games for each team in the NFL. 

In terms of schedules, the games are played mostly on Fridays, Saturdays, or Sundays. Sometimes, there would also be games on Mondays and Thursdays. The Grey Cup is also always played on the last Sunday of November. Meanwhile, the NFL usually schedule games on Sundays, but would also have games on a Thursday and Saturday.

These are just some of the unique rules and regulations that you will find about Canadian football. In the end, these small differences make the game more exciting to play or watch. In the meantime, let’s hope that conditions will get better as we wait for the CFL’s return after its postponement.